How To Make An Inexpensive Christmas Wreath

With the crunch of Christmas snow and that of the Christmas budget, it's sometimes good to know ways of decorating less expensively for the holidays. Wreaths look so festive on doors and in windows, but can sometimes cost dearly. This article is a simple 'how to' that will save dollars and yet allow you to add holiday cheer to your home.

All you will need is a wire coat hanger and a box of sandwich bags, or you can even use a collection of white, plastic shopping bags. You will also need a pair of scissors.

To begin, bend the lower portion of the hanger into a circle, leaving the hook as is, if you'd like to use it to hang your wreath. It may be disguised with a bold bow of colored ribbon as a finishing touch, but should you not want such an effect, you may be able to bend the hook behind the wreath for a more obscure hanger. The other option is to remove the hook entirely with wire cutters.

Next, cut a plastic sandwich bag along the outer edges so it will open and lie flat. Cut the bag crosswise, into strips an inch or two wide - they needn't be exact - then simply tie them in the center on the hanger allowing the two ends of the plastic strip to remain free. Continue cutting and tying strips to the hanger, being sure to push them closely together on the wire. As your work progresses, you will begin to see a fluffy, plastic wreath appear before your eyes.

The plain wreath may be attractive as is, but you may wish to attach small ornaments for a bit of interest and color. If the latter is true, let your imagination work for you. You may tie colored, wrapped candies onto your wreath at little cost, for example, or other found objects around your home. No matter your choice, the wreath will be an original reflection of it's creator adding a personal touch to your Christmas decor.

Milton Hershey

Did you know that Milton Hershey, the man responsible for bringing chocolate manufacturing to the United States, only completed fourth grade? In keeping with February when thoughts turn to Valentines Day, a time when many heart shaped boxes of chocolates will be exchanged, it seems an appropriate time of year to acknowledge him and his achievements.

Milton Hershey was born on a 350 acre farm near the small community of Derry Church, Pennsylvania the 13th of September, 1857. As the only surviving child of Veronica "Fannie" Snavely Hershey, and Henry Hershey, he was raised in his mother's strict Mennonite faith. Due to frequent family moves while following Henry's many failed businesses, Milton's education was disrupted, and so it was that he only completed the fourth grade. The family farm was sold in 1877, but was bought back by Milton twenty years later.

Milton left school in 1871 apprenticing to a printer that published a German-English newspaper. He soon quit since he didn't care for the work.

When Milton was 18 years old, he began his first candy company in Phillidelphia after a four year apprenticeship with a confectioner, Joseph Royer, in Landcaster County, Pennsylvania. After six years, despite his hard work and the financial backing of his mother's family, the business failed.

Milton then accompanied his father to the silver mines in Colorado and found employment with a confectioner in Denver. It was there he learned the art of making caramels. He soon left Colorado, and tried to form another candy company in New York City. As with his first venture, it, too, was unsuccessful, and in 1886, he returned to Landcaster, Pennsylvania, penniless at the age of 29.

Determined not to give up, he established the Landcaster Caramel Company. A British candy importer offered to sell his products abroad and Milton convinced a bank to lend him the financial backing necessary to expand his business. In four years his company met with great success and established Milton Hershey as a confectioner, becoming one of the largest manufacturers of caramels in the United States.

While visiting an exhibit at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Milton became interested in chocolate making machinery, and bought the equipment for his plant in Landcaster. Soon afterwards, his company was producing chocolate and cocoa for coatings and flavorings for his caramels, and not long later, he began selling his products to other candy makers. The first recorded sale of Hershey's chocolate was on April 17, 1895.

During a trip to Jamestown, New York, Milton met Catherine Sweeny. They were married in New York City on May 25, 1898. Their's was a good marriage, each doting on the other, and they traveled the world together.

In 1900, Milton sold his caramel company in Landcaster for one million dollars and devoted his attention exclusively to his chocolate business. At the time, milk chocolate was a luxurious, Swiss product and Milton Hershey was determined to make it available to the American public. He created his own formula for milk chocolate through trial and error, and in 1903 construction began on a new chocolate manufacturing plant at Derry Church, which was to become the world's largest. It was completed in 1905 and was designed to mass produce his product which became the first chocolate to be marketed nationally.
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Milton Hershey felt a deep responsibility to his community and those who worked for him. He built a new, model town around his factory which consisted of comfortable homes, a public school system, public transportation, and recreational and cultural facilities for his employees. He built a park which opened April 24, 1907 and over the next several years a swimming pool, ballroom, and amusement rides were added. Trolley cars brought thousands of visitors to the park each year.

Milton and Catherine remained childless, which saddened them greatly. Because of this and the fact they believed in sharing the fruits of their success, they established the Hershey Industrial School in 1909 for orphaned boys. It was first located on the farm where Milton Hershey was born. Catherine passed away prematurely in 1915 following a long illness, and three years later, Milton endowed his entire fortune of Hershey Chocolate Company stock to the school. It is now called the Milton Hershey School, and it provides housing and education for disadvantaged children on it's 9,000 acres. Milton never remarried and carried Catherine's picture with him for the rest of his life.

In 1935 Milton began the small, private, M.S. Hershey Foundation, which supports the Hershey Museum, Hershey Gardens, the Hershey Theater, and the Hershey Community Archives, and though he passed away in 1945 at the age of 88, his legacy continued to grow. In 1963, with a fifty million dollar award from the Milton Hershey School Trust, and over twenty three million dollars from the U.S. Public Health Services, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of The Pennsylvania State University was founded. The first students were enrolled in The College of Medicine in 1967 which has since conferred thousands of doctor of medicine degrees.

Through hard work and perseverance, Milton Hershey rose to great heights from humble beginnings, and made many meaningful contributions to society. One of the legacies he left that may be enjoyed by all, is the familiar treat we have come to recognize through the decades as the Hershey's chocolate bar.

Daily Clicks - An Unfortunate Experience

Like many others these days, I was searching for a way to earn a few extra dollars on the Internet and found a referral for Daily Clicks at a web site, it being touted as one of the top paid to click sites among a list of others. Not stopping there, I researched further and found more good claims about it. I then visited Daily Clicks and saw a long list of ads for their members so I joined, as did a friend of mine. For those who might not be in the know, a person is supposed to be paid for viewing advertisements for 30 seconds each.

I was satisfied with the site as it seemed there was a consistent supply of ads, so I paid the $12 they asked for a lifetime premium membership, doubling the amount paid to look at their advertisements. It was a special they were offering for the month of January, and they stated the cost of premium membership would more than double after the deadline.

As luck would have it, the very day I paid them the fee, the site became inaccessible. All that appeared on the screen were error messages. My friend was having the same problem of course, so I wrote a polite note to Daily Clicks staff, even apologizing for bothering them if they were already aware of the problem. A very terse note was sent back to me, asking if I hadn't already received their message that they were going to be taking care of the issue. No, I hadn't, nor had my friend. Then after a few more minutes, a short letter was sent out to members explaining what was going on with the site. I began wondering then.

Within a few days Daily Clicks had upgraded to a better server and all was well. The error messages were gone, and everything was running smoothly. My friend and I, and two others who had joined with me, were happily clicking ads again.

Then Daily Clicks started a raffle. They offered chances for members to win down line from the list of people who had joined without being referred by others. 'Tickets' cost one dollar each, and the staff said they'd close the raffle once 300 had been sold. Somehow to me, a red flag had just popped up. Could Daily Clicks be facing financial problems? But then I reminded myself that I am somewhat of a skeptic with these money making sites, and forged on.

The next odd thing that happened was a change in the Daily Clicks site. A listing of five pages appeared across the bottom of the screen. I checked them out and found each and every one was advertising another click site, Closet-Clickers, the same site on all five pages. Again, that struck me as strange, but my friend and I continued to click ads, watching our earnings slowly grow.

The next red flag came in the form of a letter from the Daily Clicks staff stating they were changing the rules of payment. Free members would not be allowed to cash out until they'd reached a minimum of $20, where it had been $10 before, and we premium members would not be able to request payment at the promised $5, but would have to wait until we had $10 in our account. They also stipulated two days per month when members could request their earnings, the free members being served the day before the premium ones. And yet another letter came shortly afterwards, saying that the former payment method had been reinstated, and in it, a warning that returning to the old policy would cause delay in payments.

Then one evening I went to the computer to start my usual routine of clicking ads on Daily Clicks. I brought up my stats page to show my husband that we'd finally recouped the $12 fee and actually had $2 profit, but what did I find? My account reflected earnings of only 55 cents, and my listing as a "premium member" had been reduced back down to "free member"! I later learned the latter was the case with my friend, also. She, too, had lost her earnings of $22 and her premium membership.

Not long later, I checked my e-mail and found another Daily Clicks letter. (Please note that as far as my friend or I were aware, there had been no mention before of Daily Clicks' difficulties with PayPal. This news was a "bolt out of the blue" to us both, though it did perhaps help explain why Daily Clicks was trying to change their payment policy earlier.) Their letter was as follows:

"admin@dailyclicks.biz wrote:

Hello,

As most of you already know, as of Saturday, Paypal had limited our account.

We received an email from them tonight,
stating that they can no longer accept us...
and we must stop using them, even without
seeing our documentation.

They have locked us out of our account and
stopped us from sending or receiving money.

They have basically got our hands tied.
Unfortunately there is not much we can do about it.

All accounts have been reset, and anyone
wishing to continue with DailyClicks,
will need to start over with our new processors.

We will still be reconstructing the cashout
procedures for the new processors.

Anyone wishing to continue, plz update
your profile.

We understand your frustration, but there
is absolutely nothing we can do.

You can take it up with paypal if you want,
but we dont have access to the funds their.

Thank you for your time,
DC Staff"

After receiving the above letter, I returned to Daily Clicks to delete my account. There came a message stating that to complete that action there would be a confirmation e-mail from them. Though I've tried twice now, it's never come, so they can still count me as part of their claim of having somewhere in the range of 50,000 members. Be it known here, that should you find their ad and see their latest member stats, you are to subtract one.

In all fairness, I must say in Daily Clicks' defense, that I have heard of others with PayPal woes, and it is because of those claims I was slow to open an account with the latter. I once sold crochets and other handmade items online, and asked customers to please send personal checks or money orders in payment. While I didn't like inconveniencing them, it worked out well. I was paid, people received their orders, and we all were happy.

By cutting out the middle man - PayPal or similar sites - the chance difficulties Daily Clicks and others have complained of were eliminated. It is my advice to please approach any and all monetary sites with caution be they "paid to" sites, those such as PayPal, or others.

Post Script:

The latest buzz is that PayPal is indeed part of Daily Clicks' problem. It has been rumored that PayPal is beginning to refuse to service paid to click sites as they fear fraudulent activities among them. Sadly, their actions may hurt the honest sites along with less upstanding ones.

The History of the Tuxedo

Did you know the Algonquin Indians played a part in the tuxedo? Read on to learn about this important part of men's fashion!

The modern tuxedo may very well be attributed to Pierre Lorillard IV, who's fortune was derived from the tobacco industry in the 19th century. He lived in an upper class community called Tuxedo Park, 40 miles northwest of New York City, which was located on land first belonging to the Algonquin Indian Tribe. The land was originally named by the chief and was known as P'tauk-seet-tough which meant "home of the bear". The founders of the community named it Tuxedo Park, in keeping with the Algonquin name.

Pierre Lorillard IV was among society's elite, and as such, helped promote Tuxedo Park to others of his station. Fine homes were built by a skilled Italian work force, and Tuxedo Park became a destination for the world's rich and famous. Eventually, the wealthy Tuxedo Park residents formed their own Tuxedo Club.

In October, 1886, the Tuxedo Club held it's first annual ball, and at that time, the long tailcoat had been in vogue for many years as men's traditional formal wear. Pierre commissioned a tailless version to wear to the ball. It is thought by some that he was first inspired by the design of England's Prince Edward of Wales who later became King Edward VII, who reportedly wore a similar, short style. Others felt the jacket design was styled after the short, red coats worn on fox hunts.

Pierre didn't wear his new coat to the ball as he had planned, but his son, Griswold Lorillard, and several friends did. The short jacket was admired, copied, and they became accepted formal attire as gentleman began wearing the tuxedo to the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1889. The wealthy commissioned their tailors to fit them with the new style, but by the early twentieth century, with the development of the ready-to-wear industry, tuxedos became widely available to the general population.

The Comedy of the Wayward Lizard

There is one afternoon I will never forget for as long as I live, and that was while my husband was stationed at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah back in the 1970's. We lived in Fries Trailer Park on the army installation, and had become good friends with our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Yei, who lived next door.

This particular afternoon, my husband and I were standing beside our old, red, 1957 Chevy Pick up, chatting with Mr. Yei about the repairs being done on it, when he spotted a tan lizard nearby. He told us that his son would love to have it as a pet, and so my husband obligingly retrieved a small, plastic pail and the chase was on! As I stood watching the show, the men darted and dashed here then there, doing their utmost to catch the poor lizard, which was by that time, in a state of panic.

It was during this frenzied activity that Mrs. Yei joined me beside the truck, and we were chuckling at the antics of our husbands when all of a sudden Mr. Yei came to a sudden stop. As his actions froze, his dark eyes grew big, and he had a look of surprise, then panic! He began kicking his foot and shaking his leg, urgently sputtering, "It's in my pants! It's in my pants!" He then looked at me and said, "Don't look! Don't look! My pants are coming off!"

And right there in the broad daylight of the warm, afternoon sun, before his wife, my husband, myself, and any other nearby neighbors who happened to be enjoying the view from their yards or windows, Mr. Yei unbuckled his belt while still shaking his leg, unzipped his pants, and then down they came revealing very bright, red and white polka dot boxers! The lizard made a big jump and flew out over the zipper of Mr. Yei's trousers and disappeared into the desert while Mrs. Yei and I were laughing so hard that tears were rolling down our faces! I literally had to lean on our truck to keep from falling down I was in such hysterics!

Mr. Yei looked over at me and calmly said, "Well, I told you not to look."

Toxic People

What is a toxic person? Unfortunately, they may be all around you, or even worse, you may be one. Toxic people consistently drag others down, making people feel worse about themselves for apparently no other reason than the satisfaction of doing so, and they may be overly needy, not caring about anyone other than themselves.

The first question to ask yourself is - do I make others feel better or worse after spending time with them? You might also turn it around and ask the same question regarding friends, family, and others in your life. How do you feel after being with certain individuals? If you find you have always felt worse, then it may be you know someone with a toxic personality.

If you take time to look at yourself, honestly assessing your effect on others, and find you constantly bring other people down, then you might be a toxic person. If you have the forthrightness and courage to own up to it, and actually regret hurting people, then you are to be admired. You are to be applauded even more if you're willing to correct yourself in order to become an uplifting, positive individual, and work toward that end!

A toxic person isn't to be confused with those who just have a bad week and temporarily cause upsets, nor are they simply fair weather friends who back off when storm clouds pop up over the horizon. While the latter may not be the best of friends, generally, they don't mean to do others harm. They just don't want to take on more problems - yours or anyone else's. Other than their ducking for cover, they're good to spend time with in pleasant conversation or on fun outings, and you can walk away afterwards feeling as though you've had a good time.

On the other hand, after being with a toxic person, you may feel badly about yourself, angry, and experience a multitude of other negative emotions. In short, you may come away wishing that you hadn't seen that person at all, and sadly this can happen with casual friends and acquaintances, and with those whom you've somehow come to love!

What to do should you realize you've been keeping company with a toxic person? The best advice is to distance yourself from them even though it may pain you to do so. If you can't find it within yourself to part with them, then you could be in for a future of low self-esteem, anger, and hurt feelings among other things. If the toxic person is someone very special to you, your relationship with them may well be an ongoing heartache full of constant yearnings of acceptance, approval, and generally wishing for returned love that never comes.

You then need to ask yourself, which is the lesser of two evils? Is it better to suffer the pain of giving up and walking away once and for all, or to hang onto the constant anguish and heartache? The initial pain of leaving usually lessens in time, where remaining in the company of a toxic person keeps tearing at open wounds as long as you're with them.

What should you do if you realize you're a toxic person? Begin analyzing what it is you do and say that upsets other people, and learn to bridle your actions and words. Put yourself in other's shoes and ask yourself if you'd like to be treated as you are treating them? If you don't correct your behavior, you may end up a sad, lonely person once others tune into the fact you continually hurt them and make them unhappy.

I am writing this out of personal experience, as I have actually walked the walk. I had to go so far as to give up my older brother - 12 years older, to be more exact. In all honesty, I can say I always adored him, and even writing this is harder than you know. I loved him with every fiber of my being, and beneath all the pain he's caused, I still do, but I had to put distance between him and myself.

It took me many years to realize the terrible effect he had on me whenever I was around him. As the old saying goes, "Love is blind." He was friendly, but condescending at the same time. He said and did subtle things that cut to the core and he seemed to take pleasure in them. In short, he delighted in making me feel less, and himself more, at my expense.

For years I refused to give up on him, and kept bouncing back much as a friendly puppy might after being kicked, only hoping for acceptance and perhaps an occasional pat on the head. I let him know how much I cared for him, and was given another kick each time.

The end came during a phone conversation when he told me, "You were considered an interloper." He was referring to my being born into the family. That, and his remark that the only reason Mom and Dad had me was because they were having marital problems and Dad was trying to make sure Mom wouldn't leave him, were the final straws.

There is only so much a person can take - only so much a person can bounce back from, and he hit my limit. Where I'm certain he expected me to continue chasing after him, I haven't. Yes, it hurts to think I may never see my brother again though he lives only 60 miles away, but the many years of pain from his emotional barbs needed to end.

His toxic ways have robbed him of getting to know his nieces and nephews. Though they are adults living as neighbors near my husband and me, they, too, shy away from him knowing his nature. He has also denied himself the privilege and pleasure of knowing his great-nieces and nephews, some of whom he's never laid eyes on though we all live within an hour's drive of his home. Interestingly, he hasn't visited us either, though the highway runs both ways.

Now, another question comes to mind. What should you do if someone you know has a toxic person in their life, and it's bothering you to see them brought low by that individual?

Usually, the worst thing you can do is speak against the toxic person. As with many of us, it may well be your friend's nature to defend them, making excuses for him or her, and even may expect them to change, which is most doubtful. To deride toxic individuals to others will hardly ever set well, and may spoil any positive influence you might have.

It is my opinion that the best stance is to be there for them, and though not easy at times, be a good listener. Let them talk about their toxic friend, family member, or whomever, and the negative effects they are experiencing.

Once it's clear that they are indeed in a toxic relationship, it might help to indirectly teach them about such people. By indirectly, I mean simply present the information to give them the necessary skills to identify the signs and symptoms of toxic behavior, and the effects they have on others. This may be done through personal experience as I'm doing here, or through experiences of other people. You might even bring up the topic during a general conversation by telling them you read an interesting article about it. Done properly, it will in no way point an accusing finger at the toxic person in question, but will hopefully enable the victim to recognize what is happening in their own relationship and allow them to make educated decisions as to how best to deal with it.

It is my sincere hope that should you find you are a toxic person, you will reconsider your actions not only for the sake of those around you, but for your own benefit as well. And I also hope for the rest of you, that you're spared the pain of toxic relationships, though they aren't uncommon. Either way, whether you are a toxic person, or are the victim of one, understanding is the beginning of change.

Wardrobe Hints for the Stouter Figure

Is your figure a little on the stout side? If so, here are a few hints to help you choose the right styles and colors of clothing and jewlry to enhance your appearance!

Color and fabric texture are two of the key issues when considering dressing according to your body's size and shape. As a general rule, light and bright colors make one look larger, while dark ones diminish the appearance of size. At the same time, shiny fabrics such as satin also add the impression of extra weight, while fabrics with a dull finish such as crepe, do not. A heavier person would also do well to stay away from clingy fabrics, and those that are bulky.

Selecting clothing styles is also important. For the stouter figure, choose clothing with vertical lines such as dresses with center panels, or with a row of buttons down the front, for example. Long, flowing lines such as princess style dresses are also good if they don't fit too tightly.

Stay away from two piece dresses, skirts with all-around pleats or gathers, wide gores, or peplums, and wide or contrasting belts. Avoid styles that cut you in half such as blouses that contrast with skirts or pants, and if you must wear them, wear a jacket that matches the lower part of your outfit to enhance the look of length from shoulder to hem. Also avoid puff sleeves, droopy sleeves, or ones that are tightly fitted. Choose V necklines and pointed collars while avoiding round ones.

As to fabric patterns and trims, larger people should avoid large prints and those with curved lines. Stripes are good, but be certain they run vertically. Diagonal stripes are acceptable if they are used sparingly perhaps for contrasting pockets, for example.

One might consider wearing colorful jewelry, a scarf, or other accessory at or near the neckline to bring attention to the face. When choosing necklaces, chokers are a poor choice for the stout figure, as are round, button earrings. Just as with the clothing, the jewelry should enhance the idea of length, not breadth. The same applies for hairstyles and hats. They should add to one's height, rather than diminish it, as should the choice in shoes. Select styles with heels for added height.

A well chosen wardrobe can boost a person's appearance and self-esteem no matter whether they are thin or stout. It's a matter of being in the know, and selecting the right colors, fabrics, and styles.

Makeup Techniques for Different Face Shapes

In reality, each person has her own individual needs in the way of makeup. Not only do we differ in skin tones making proper color choices a concern, but faces vary in shape as well, from oval, to square, to round. This article provides tips on applying makeup to enhance each shape. Keep in mind that light and bright colors tend to make things more pronounced, while darker and subdued colors minimize.

Techniques for applying make-up vary for different shapes of faces, such as oval, round, or square. The oval is considered the most desirable shape, and make-up should be applied in such a way as to make one's face appear more oval. Listed below are face shapes and hints for applying make-up to help achieve this.

The ideal oval face is approximately three-fourths as wide as it's length.

For the oval face, apply blush to the center of the cheeks then blend it up over the cheekbone toward the temple. Apply eye shadow to the eyelid from inner to outer corner. Follow the natural line of the eyebrows while applying eyebrow pencil, and the natural contour of the lips with lipstick.

The round face is usually wider in proportion to it's length than the oval face, and has a rounded chin and hairline.

The roundness of the jaw may be shaded out with a slightly darker foundation makeup than what is applied to the rest of the face. The brow should be arched in an angular fashion, similar to an inverted V. This will add angularity to the face, and because the round face doesn't need added width, keep the brows fairly short. Angle the eye shadow toward the end of the brow for the same reason. Apply blush toward the center of the cheek, and with lipstick, shape your mouth widely and fully, using straight lines.

The square face has relatively straight lines with a straight forehead, hairline, and angular jaw.

Minimize the jaw line with slightly darker foundation makeup than is applied to the rest of the face. As to eyebrows, length adds width to the face and curved brows will minimize the straight lines. Eye shadow may be applied to give the eye an upward slant. Apply shadow close to the eye just above the lashes on the inner eye, then bringing it up toward the temples. Don't overdo it, though. The mouth should be full and round, the corners coming to a point just below the pupil of the eye.

The long face has relatively straight lines and has greater length in proportion to the width. It is long and narrow.

To minimize a the length of the long face, the eye area should be made as broad as possible. A curved eyebrow ending beyond the outer corner of the eye will help achieve this. Blush should be applied not to the center of the cheek, but farther away from the center of the face on the cheekbone and blended out and up to the temple. The emphasis of eye shadow should also be as far from the nose as possible, being applied more heavily at the outer corner of the lid. Lips should be nicely rounded with lipstick, coming to the natural corners.

The heart-shaped face has a wide forehead and a pointed, narrow chin.

The appearance of the width of the forehead may be reduced by applying a darker shade of foundation to the temple area from the hairline, to one half inch in on the front of the brow. If the forehead protrudes, the darker foundation may be applied to the entire forehead. Darker foundation may also be applied horizontally across the tip of the chin if the chin is long and well pointed. Eyebrows should be roundly arched instead of pointed. To make the angle of the brow pointed, would repeat the pointed chin, bringing emphasis to it. Eye shadow should emphasize the whole eye. Blush should be applied under the middle of the eye and blended out onto the cheekbone. The lower lip should be straight across the bottom between the two spots directly below the nostrils. Round the upper lip softly.

The triangular face has a jaw that is wider than the forehead.

Shade out the wide jaw with darker foundation than what is applied to the rest of the face. An eyebrow that is arched with it's highest point slightly outside the iris of the eye will add width to the narrow forehead, as will extending the outer ends of the brows slightly past the imaginary line drawn from the nostril to the corner of the eye. If blush is applied about one half inch from under the hairline it will add brow width where it is needed to offset the wide jaw. Eye makeup is great for triangular faces as it draws attention to the eyes and away from the lower face. Eye shadow should be applied toward the outer third of the eye. Rounding the lower lip will minimize the wide jaw and making the upper lip slightly full will also help.

The diamond shaped face has a narrow forehead and a narrow chin. It has the effect of making the cheekbones appear too wide.

A straight eyebrow will lend more width to the forehead. Blush should be applied very high beneath the eye and smoothed out nearly to the hairline at the temple. It may also be applied to the forehead, for the effect of added width. Eye shadow should cover the outer third of the eyelid. Lips should be delicately rounded.

A look in the mirror may help you determine the shape of your face, and if in doubt, ask a family member or a good friend. That done, you may enjoy trying your hand at applying makeup according to the brief tips in this article.

Choosing the Right Makeup

Ladies, have you wondered what color makeup is right for the color of your complexion? Hints are listed below!

It is important to select the proper cosmetic colors to help enhance your natural beauty. To do this, one must determine their natural skin tone and use color accordingly. Be sure to examine your skin in natural light to achieve an accurate assessment. Below, is a list of skin tones, their basic qualities, along with suggestions for makeup to enhance them.

White complexion has very little color and may appear almost translucent, similar to porcelain. Those with light colored hair often are associated with white complexions. Since more color is needed, those with white complexions should use a foundation makeup that is a slightly darker tone than their natural skin. Powder should have a pink hue and be a shade lighter than the foundation. Blush should be pink or coral, instead of true red. Eyebrow pencil should be slightly darker than the hair, perhaps a light brown. Eye shadow should be pastel and compliment the clothing. Eyeliner is best reserved for evening, and black is not advised. Mascara may be dark brown. Lipstick should be of a similar hue to the blush, but a shade darker.

Cream complexion is a very desirable skin tone. It has an equal combination of yellow and red, with a touch of brown. The cream complexion needs little help in the way of foundation makeup. Choose a base that is colorless or matches your own skin tone, and a powder a shade lighter than the foundation. Blush should match the natural color of the cheeks and may be in the range of coral, pink, or red. If the eyebrows are too pale, use an eyebrow pencil slightly darker than the hair. Try choosing an eye shadow that matches your eyes, and otherwise keep the shades light. As to eye liner, match the eye shadow in a darker value, or for evening could be dark brown or black like the mascara.

Pink complexion is more red than yellow and is often found with red hair. It is a florid complexion and may look flushed if it is too pink. It needs it's intensity minimized by a foundation that is less pink than the skin, but not so much as to look unnatural. Oftentimes this skin type has freckles, and one might try finding a foundation that would blend with them. When using a powder, choose a beige tone, but not of a darker value than the foundation. Using blush and lipsticks with orange hues will do wonders to counteract the pinkness of the skin. Auburn is a good color for the eyebrows if one has red hair. Otherwise match the eyebrows to the hair color as closely as possible. A subdued, green eye shadow might be right for you, and eye liner would be best in a dark brown as would the mascara.

Golden complexion is what may be described as "sallow". It is over abundant in yellow and brown and may range from light to medium dark. The more fair the complexion, the less intense makeup colors should be. A beige foundation with a tone similar to the skin is recommended. Powder may be somewhat lighter than the foundation, and have a definite peach tone. Always use blush. With such a neutral complexion reds are in order for it as well as lipstick. Eyebrow pencil should be slightly darker than the natural brows if they are pale, and if not, should match them. Never wear brown eye shadow, but intense colors to match the eyes or the color of the clothes. Black eye liner should be worn in the evening. Colors of lipstick may include orange red, coral, or true red.

Tan complexion has a tendency to look muddy while wearing dark, dull colors such as navy blue, brown, or black. Use a foundation to match your skin tone. Don't try to lighten your skin with foundation, and stay with tan powder. Use coral and true red in the way of blush and lipsticks. If using eyebrow pencil, choose a color to match the eyebrows as closely as possible, but it would do well to avoid harsh black. Green or blue eye shadow would be a good choice for tan complexions but you might want to avoid brown and violet. Mascara should be black.

Olive complexion is usually combined with brown eyes and dark hair. The skin has almost a green undertone. It is better to select a colorless foundation than to change your own coloring, but you may need to lighten the area around your eyes. Powder should be peach instead of a true pink hue a little lighter than the skin. Always wear blush in a true red. Lipstick should be true red also, or an orange red. If eyebrow pencil is used, chose ebony or dark gray if you have black hair. Lighter shades of eye shadow will flatter, but avoid dark, intense ones. Unless your skin is dark, you may be able to wear black eye liner day or night, and mascara should be black.

Brown, Copper, or Ebony complexions may have underlying tones of red, tan, or copper. Choose a foundation to match the skin and a powder that is a shade lighter than the foundation. Blush should be subtle tones of coral, orange red, or true red. Irridecent eye shadows will brighten your eyelids. Eye liner should be black, as should the mascara. Eyebrow pencil should be a shade to match the hair.